Story is about Milly Bennett, an American Journalist living in Moscow during the birth of Socialism. She also witnessed the Spanish Civil war which all sounds like riveting material. Unfortunately Millie is quite unlikable, a brash woman who is in love with the concept of socialism more than the reality. While the settings are realistic, there is very little enjoyable in the reading. I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
2*

I finished this book, but at times wondered why I was reading it. I couldn't get the gist of the book. A female reporter globetrotter and drifted from illicit relationships that a,ways left her empty. Half of the book was set in Russia in the early thirties and I think the author captured the environment quite well. My attention waned at the Spanish Civil War. Only after reading the historical note, did I realize this was based on a real woman's life. It was an okay read.

Milly Bennett was a reporter living in Moscow in the 1930's. Moscow seemed like a miserable place with the frigid tempeatures and the political unrest. That would have made me careful of what I said and did but not Milly. She was still a brash American and did what she wanted and at times antagonized the OGPU. Truth be told I didn't like Milly much. I think she wanted so much to be a Socialist but deep down she was still the pushy American and at times caused problems for her husband, Zhenya. The first part of the book is told from two POVs, Before and Now. Since the before was only a couple of years before Now at times I had to check which time period I was reading. The second half was chronological so it made easier reading.

Although the book was beautifully written and I could feel what it was like in Russia during this time period I found that the downside of Historical Fiction is if you aren't familiar with that period of history and it's not explained it takes away the enjoyment and leaves me confused.

Milly Bennett was one of the first female war correspondents. She was dedicated to telling the truth, a characteristic that often found her in hot water. Milly was a woman eons ahead of the times. She was compassionate, accepting, brave, unapologetically flirtatious and fought for what she believed in. She enjoyed drinking and sex and didn’t try to hide it.

A large portion of the book focuses on Milly’s life in Russia and the arrest of her husband on charges of homosexual activity. Milly fights to get him out of prison. The journalistic work of Milly while in Russia is mentioned, but the main focus is her husband’s case and Milly’s personal life. Once Milly moves to Spain and begins reporting there, the book focuses more on her career.

I never heard of Milly Bennet before reading this book, and I really enjoyed getting to know her. I think her aspiration of spreading the truth makes for a very inspirational story.
*Some of the material may not be appreciated by all readers.

My review can also be found on Instagram @rosetree_bookreviewer
Many thanks to NetGalley, Amberjack Publishing and Carrie Callaghan for the ARC of Salt the Snow in exchange for my honest review.

Milly Bennett was an American journalist that witnessed first hand the birth of Socialism in Russia and then the Spanish Civil War. She was an independent woman and brassy woman that lived life to the fullest even when she only had a few rubles in her pocket. Salt the Snow is well researched as far as the places that Milly went and the things she would have seen, but she is brought to life by Ms. Callaghan's story telling. Thank you to #NetGalley, for the opportunity to read #SalttheSnow for my honest review.

This book was okay. I liked that it was set in Russia, but I found it a bit sad. The main character never seemed to have anything good happen to her. I'm not sure if I would reccomend this or not honestly.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of Salt the Snow.

I am rating this book 3 stars. I found it a bit depressing in regards to Milly, the main character. I absolutely appreciated her bravery, wit, and dedication to pursuing her craft, but kept wondering when something would work out for her. With her husband getting removed to a work camp on homosexuality charges, her further relationships not being fulfilling, and the loss of her position in Russia, I kept hoping she could catch a break.

I think my biggest complaint for this book is that part one is split between present and past while the other two parts of this book are just chronological. I think it would have made more sense to either continue splitting past/present throughout the book or to simply have the entire story told in chronological order; the consistency either way would have been helpful as a reader. I enjoyed Milly's characterization and the writing didn't feel overbearing or particularly dry, something that adult historical fiction novels can often feel. This was a solid book with a unique plot and setting, as I have read few books with similar plots.